Methods for producing forged products and other worked products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10220434-B2
Application number	US-201615083007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 10, 2013
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Methods for producing forged products and other worked products are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method comprises using additive manufacturing to produce a metal shaped-preform and, after the using step, forging the metal shaped-preform into a final forged product. The final forged product may optionally be annealed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
(a) using additive manufacturing to produce a metal shaped-preform, wherein the metal shaped-preform comprises a titanium alloy; and
(b) after the using step (a), forging the metal shaped-preform, in a single die forging step, into a final forged product;
wherein the single die forging step is using a single blocker die to die forge the metal-shaped preform into the final forged product; and
wherein the single die forging step comprises non-uniformly applying strain to the metal shaped-preform.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the final forged product is a jet engine blade for a jet engine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium alloy includes at least 50 wt. % Ti and at least one titanium aluminide phase, wherein the at least one titanium aluminide phase is selected from the group consisting of Ti 3 Al, TiAl and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium alloy includes 5-30 wt. % aluminum, and the titanium alloy comprises at least some Ti 3 Al.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium alloy is a Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forging step comprises:
heating the metal shaped-preform to a stock temperature; and
contacting the metal shaped-preform with a forging die, wherein, when the contacting step is initiated, the forging die is a temperature that is at least 10° F. lower than the stock temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
after the forging step (b), annealing the final forged product.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the annealing step comprises heating the final forged product to a temperature of from 670° C. to 750° C.

9. A method comprising:
(a) using additive manufacturing to produce a titanium alloy preform for a jet engine, wherein the titanium alloy preform comprises a titanium alloy; and
(b) after the using step (a), forging the titanium alloy preform, in a single die forging step, into a jet engine blade for a jet engine;
wherein the single die forging step is using a single blocker die to die forge the titanium alloy preform into the jet engine blade; and
wherein the single die forging step comprises non-uniformly applying strain to the metal shaped-preform.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the titanium alloy includes at least 50 wt. % Ti and at least one titanium aluminide phase, wherein the at least one titanium aluminide phase is selected from the group consisting of Ti 3 Al, TiAl and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the titanium alloy includes 5-30 wt. % aluminum, and the titanium alloy comprises at least some Ti 3 Al.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the titanium alloy is a Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forging step comprises:
heating the titanium alloy preform to a stock temperature; and
contacting the titanium alloy preform with a forging die, wherein, when the contacting step is initiated, the forging die is a temperature that is at least 10° F. lower than the stock temperature.

14. The method of claim 9 comprising,
after the forging step (b), annealing the jet engine blade.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the annealing step comprises heating the jet engine blade to a temperature of from 670° C. to 750° C.

16. A method comprising:
(a) using additive manufacturing to produce a ring-shaped metal preform;
(i) wherein the ring-shaped metal preform comprises one of a titanium alloy, an aluminum alloy, a nickel alloy, a steel, a stainless steel, and a metal matrix composite;
(ii) wherein the using step comprises adding metal, via the additive manufacturing, to a building substrate thereby producing the ring-shaved preform;
(iii) wherein the building substrate is a first ring of a first metal material, wherein the additive manufacturing comprises adding a second metal material to the first ring thereby forming a second ring integral with the first ring, wherein the ring-shaped metal preform comprises the first ring and the second ring; and

(b) after the using step (a), working the ring-shaped preform into a final worked ring-shaped product via at least one of ring rolling and ring forging.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first metal material is the same as the second metal material.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first metal material is different than the second metal material.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising:
first selecting a high toughness material as the first metal material;
second selecting a high strength material as the second metal material;
after the first selecting step and after the second selecting step, completing the using step (a) and the working step (b).

20. The method of claim 19 , comprising:
after the working step (b), using the final worked ring-shaped product as an engine containment ring in an aerospace engine.

Assignees

• Alcoa Inc
• Arconic Inc

Inventors

• Bush Dustin M
• Roegner Eric V
• Colvin Edward L
• Mueller Larry N
• Bodily Brandon Hendrickson
• Rioja Roberto J

Classifications

• B22F10/66

  by mechanical means · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B21J5/002

  Hybrid process, e.g. forging following casting · CPC title

• B21J1/06

  Heating or cooling methods or arrangements specially adapted for performing forging or pressing operations {(B21J5/063 takes precedence)} · CPC title